Glass-sheet-drawing apparatus



.March 3, 1931. P. ESCOLE GLASS SHEET DRAWING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed Dec. 12, 1928 1 March 3, 1931. ESCOLE 1,795,254

GLASS SHEET DRAWING APPARATUS Original Filed Dec. 12, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED; STATES PATENT: 1 OFFICE PAUL I ESCOLE, OF JEUMONT, FRANCE, ASSIGNOR TO ATELIER'S DE CONSTRUCTION &

FONDERIES DE JEUMON'I. ,(ANCIENS ETAIBLISSEMENTS HAUT), OF J'EUMONT, FRANCE, A FRENCH SOCIETE ANONYME GLASS-SHEET-DRAWING APPARATUS Original application filed December 12, 1928, Serial No. 325,454, and in France August n, 1928. Divided and this application iiled March 19, 1930. Serial No. 437,147.

This application is a divisional application of my pendingapplication Serial No. 325,454 filed December 12th, 1928 for improvements in glass sheet drawing'apparatus. The present invention relates to apparatus for drawing glass in sheets by means of movable rollers mounted on horizontal axes and juxtaposed in pairs. In each pair, one roller is driven by external means, its axis being fixed, and this roller transmits its movement by means of gears to the other or driven roller, of which the axis can be displaced. Thus a variable separation canbe obtained between the rollers of a single pair. The necessary pressure of the second roller against the first or driving roller is ensured by levers and counterweights.

The invention has for its principal object to improve and render more sensitive the suspension ofthe driven rollers of the apparatus. Another object'is to provide for driving the rollers by a flexible connection with the driving means, allowing the suppression of the gear wheels with long teeth which are usually employed for transmitting movement 7 from the one roller to-theothr of each pair and in order to accommodate the variable separation of the two rollers.

The invention comprises an improved form of suspension lever intended to improve and simplify the above arrangements, this lever having a counterweight slidable thereon and being terminated at one of its extremities by a part constituting the bearing for the roller, upon which part there is screwed a suspension rod introduced into a pivot fixed to the casing of the machine; the suspension rod rests upon the pivot by means of a ball thrust .bearing having a lower washer of part-spherical shape resting upon a suitable member fitted at its base into a plate having on its under side a central rib or projection in the form of a knife edge balancing upon the fixed pivot. the present invention, there is represented upon Figures 1 and 2' of the accompanying drawin s a glass-drawing apparatus constructe in' accordance with the invention.

In order to facilitate the understanding of,

Figure 1 is an elevation of theimproved machine.

Figure2 is a corresponding plan, showing also the flexible means for driving the rollers.-

Figure 3 shows a detail elevation of the improved lever.

Figure 4 is a section on the line 44 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 1s a plan view of the pivot bar supporting the improved lever, as shown in Figure 4.

In these drawings, R is the driving roller. and R is the juxtaposed driven roller.

The rollers R and R (see Figure 2) rest by meansof their trunnions 1, 2 respectively 1n 'suitable bearing bushes 41 and 16. The

bushes 16v are carried by the frame of the apparatus and the bushes 41" are mounted externally of the frame in a,v kind of lever 41. The five pairs of rollers R and R represented in Figure 1, are arranged in the same manner and at suitable distances vertically apart from one another.

The lever arm proper 41 is rectilinear and a counterweight P can slide thereon for the whole ofthe length of the arm. One end 41' of the said lever forms a bearingblock for the trunnion 1 of the roller R rotating in the bearing bush 41". Upon this block' 41' there is screwed a rod 42 perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the lever 41.

This rod 42 is introduced into a cavity 46', allowing of certain play, provided for this purpose in the supporting pivot bar 46 fixed to the frame-work of the machine as shown in Figure 4. Upon the upper end of the rod 42, above the pivot bar .46, there is slipped first a plate 45 of rectangular section having on its lower face a central rib or projection thrust bearing 44 are bored out upon their vertical axis in order to allow of slipping them upon the rod 42, while a nut 43 with lock-nut 43, screwing upon the upper screwthreaded extremity of the said rod 42, allows of fixing the whole in the position represented in Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.

The point of suspension is therefore located upon the pivot bar 46; the resultant of the Weights of the roller, lever and counterweight, is always to the right of the pivot bar 46 as viewed in Figure 3'; this resultant force produces therefore a pressure towards the left, that is to say a pressure of the roller R against the roller R of the glass drawing machine.

By reason of the use of the thrust bearing 44, the lever 41 can follow the trunnion 1- 0f the roller R in all the positions of separation produced by the different thicknesses of drawing or by the passage of stones or foreign bodies adhering to the glass, while yet maintaining the bearing block 41, the bush 41 and the trunnion l .of the roller R upon the same longitudinal axis. a

The vertical driving shaft 21 (Figure 2) is mounted upon a separate support 28 placed at a certain distance from the apparatus proper, and the transmission is effected by the intermediate parts which will be described hereafter.

The support 28 is traversed by horizontal shafts 24 and 27 situated in the same plane,

and substantially in line with the rollers R and B respectively.

The shaft 24 is driven by the shaft 21 by means of bevel toothed wheels 22, 23, and it drives the shaft 27 by means of two wheels 25 and 26 of fine tooth-pitch, arranged on the opposite side of the support 28.

The shafts 24 and 27 respectively transmit their movement to the trunnions of the rollers R and R by intermediate shafts 29., 30; these latter are connected at each end by universal joints 31, on one hand to the shafts passing through the support 28 and on the other hand to the trunnions of the rollers.

It is possible, evidently, to substitute for the intermediate shafts 29 and 30 and the joints 31, either very flexible rods, assembled in any suitable way, for example by caps fitted over the ends of the parts to be connected, or other. flexible connecting means.

It will be understood that this novel method of driving allows the suppression of gear wheels with long teeth and the disadvantages inherent in these devices.

The present arrangement ensures smooth and regular rotation of the rollers; consequently the causes of breakage are very much reduced.

Moreover, the expansion of the apparatus under the influenceof heat can-take place in all directions, without interfering with the manufacture, by reason of the utilizameaaea tion of flexible intermediate members for the transmission of the drive.

Lastly, the apparatus is rendered more accessible by the separation of the gear wheels from the frame 14; windows and inspection doors 15 can in fact be placed level with each pair of rollers without beinginterfered with by the mechanism.

The apparatus described operates in the same Way as the ordinary apparatus, but it will be noted that if a foreign body such as. 32, Figure 2, is introduced between two juxtaposed rollers, then as a result of the improve ments described above, the roller R moves easily away from the roller R the resistances to be overcome being reduced to the minimum, and the pressure exerted at 33 increased only slightly compared with the normal pressure. As soon as the foreign body 32 escapes from the rollers R R the roller R comes without delay to press again upon the sheet for the whole of its width. Consequently the passage of the foreign body causes only an insignificant disturbance of short duration.

The construction described above is given only by way of example; it is evident that the arrangements previously enumerated may be applied to all machines of the Fourcault type for drawing glass. It is in fact permissible without exceeding the scope of the invention to arrange the constituent elements of the novel improved apparatus in such a way as to obtain modifications behaving in practice in the same manner as the example described.

What I claim is 1. In glass sheet drawing apparatus, including a pair of relatively movable rollers and means for pressing said rollers against opposite faces of the sheet, a suspension device for the movable roller, comprising a lever, a fixed pivot, a knife edge resting upon said pivot and by which said lever is carried, a bearing bush for the trunnion ofsaid roller, said bush being-mounted in said lever and flexibly carried from said pivot, a pair of in-, termeshing gears at fixed centers, and flexible driving connections between the trunnions of saidrcllers and said intermeshing gears.

2. In glass sheet drawing apparatus, in-' cluding a pair of relatively movable rollers and means for pressing said rollers against opposite faces of the sheet,a suspension device for the movable roller, comprising a weighted lever a fixed pivot for said lever, and a bearing bush for the trunnion of said movable roller, said bushbeing mounted said lever and flexibly carried by said pivot.

3. In glass sheet drawing apparatus, in

- vice weighted l'ever,

a bearing able roller, said bush being mounted in sand lever and being adapted to swivel in relation to said fixed pivot.

4. In glass sheet drawing apparatus, in-

eluding apair of relatively movable rollers and means for pressing said rollers against opposite faces of the sheet, a suspension defor the movableroller, bearing bush for the trunnion of said roller, a lever in which said bush is mounted, said lever being of rectilinear shape, a counterweight adjustable along said .lever, and a v fixed pivot, said lever bemg earned by said pivot and said bush being adapted to swivel in relation to said pivot. -5. glass sheet dra and means for pressing said rollers against opposite faces of the sheet, a suspension defor the movable roller, comprising a a bearing bush forithe trunvice nion of said roller, said bush being mounted in said lever, a fixed pivot, a suspension rod attached to said lever in bush, said rod passing through said pivot, a

ball thrust bearing mounted upon said rod, a

thrust plate, said ball thrust bearing resting upon a part spherical surface on said thrust plate, and a transverse rib on the lower face of said thrust plate, said transverse rib resting upon said pivot, whereby said bearing bush is flexibly carried by said pivot.

In testimony whereof I have afiixed my signature.

PAUL ESCOLE.

bush for the trunnion of the mo comprising a 4 g apparatus in-' eluding a pair of relatively movablero ers the vicinity of said 

